The present invention relates to tiltable body exercisers and, in particular, to a two-position pivot support system for such exercisers.
Tiltable body exercisers are well known in the art. These exercisers consist of a body supporting structure pivotally mounted for tilting movement about a horizontally extending pivot axis. The body supporting structure includes an upper body supporting portion, i.e., a bed or platform; a lower body supporting portion, i.e., a foot, ankle, instep or leg embracing structure; and an elongated central frame member, or boom, interconnecting the upper and lower body supporting portions. Representative examples of tiltable body exercisers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,081,085; 3,152,802; 3,286,708; 3,568,669; 3,589,358; 4,170,988 and 4,232,662.
Tiltable body exercisers may be supported for tilting movement, about the horizontally extended pivot axis, upon a sturdy A-frame stand or similar structure. The A-frame stand includes spaced-apart, left and right pairs of leg members mechanically intercoupled at their upper ends. The lower portions of the front, left and right leg members are mechanically joined together by a horizontally extending member or bar, and the rear, left and right leg members are mechanically joined together at their lower ends. The A-frame stand may be foldable for easy storage by left and right foldable linkage members mechanically intercoupled, respectively, between the left and right pairs of leg members.
The tiltable body exerciser may include centrally located left and right oppositely extending trunions, securely attached to the bed or platform by means of left and right bracket members. The lower ends of the left and right bracket members are secured, respectively, to the left and right sides of the bed, and the bracket members extend upwardly from the plane of the bed. The upper ends of the left and right bracket members support the left and right, oppositely extending trunions, respectively. The length of the left and right bracket members may be made adjustable by means of interlocking parts in order to selectively adjust the perpendicular distance between the plane of the bed and the horizontal pivot axis of the left and right trunions.
The left and right trunions are pivotally supported, respectively, within left and right trunion supporting plates, as by bushings, notches or slots. The left and right trunion supporting plates are securely attached to the upper end portions of the left and right pairs of leg members and form an integral part of the A-frame stand. The horizontally extending axis of the bushings, notches or slots within the left and right trunion supporting plates defines the horizontally extending axis about which the exerciser is tiltable.
With the left and right trunions secured in place in their respective trunion supporting plates of the A-frame, and the tiltable body exerciser ready for use, the lower end of the central frame member will rest upon the floor, as shown and described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,662. In this position, the center of gravity of the tiltable body exerciser itself lies below and somewhat forward of the horizontally extending pivot axis about which the exerciser is to be tilted.
A user, secured in position on the tiltable body exerciser, may achieve horizontal, inclined or inverted positions of the body by adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the combined weights of the user and the exerciser relative to the horizontally extending pivot axis. For example, in a stable, balanced horizontal body position, with the arms of the user along the sides of the body, the center of gravity of user and exerciser will lie in a vertical plane at a point directly below the horizontally extending pivot axis. If, from this stable and balanced horizontal position, the user moves his arms to a fixed position above his head, a stable, balanced inclined position may be achieved with the feet and legs of the user elevated above the head. In this stable, balanced and inclined position, the position of the center of gravity of user and exerciser will, again, lie in a vertical plane at a point directly below the horizontally extending pivot axis.
Tiltable body exercisers are provided with stop means for limiting the angle of inclination of the exerciser relative to the horizontal plane. A limit to the inverted position of the exerciser is necessary before the user can achieve stable, inverted body position. One method for providing a limit stop is to locate the position of the horizontal bar or member, joined between the front left and right leg members of the A-frame, so that it will engage and bear against the rear of the bed or platform when the bed or platform is in the fully inverted position. The horizontal bar or member may be padded or spring-loaded to minimize the shock caused when the rear or back side of the bed strikes the horizontal bar. When the user is in a fully inverted position on the tiltable body exerciser, with the rear of the bed resting firmly against the horizontal bar limit stop, the user may be said to be in an inverted and unlocked position, or he may be in an inverted and locked position, as will be explained hereinafter.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a tiltable body exerciser whose pivot axis is capable of being shifted from a first position, providing an inverted and unlocked body position, to a second position, providing an inverted and locked body position.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved supporting structure for pivotally supporting a tiltable body exerciser about either one of two spaced-apart horizontal pivot axes.
Yet another object is to provide a supporting structure for a tiltable body exerciser that will enable the exerciser to be inverted to either one of two different, inverted, limited positions.
The above objects of and the brief introduction to the present invention will be more fully understood, and further objects and advantages will become apparent, from a study of the following detailed description in connection with the drawings.